Thin Pavers Vs. Thick Driveway Pavers

Driveway pavers can add a unique twist and architectural flair to an ordinary driveway. Pavers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, materials and colors that can give your driveway project a customized look. When choosing a paver, decide on its thickness. Thick and thin pavers each has advantages and disadvantages that you should consider.

Weight

Thin pavers are roughly half the thickness and weight of thick pavers. This can make a big difference in two ways. If you are laying the driveway yourself, it will make the job much easier on your back. If you are having the driveway done, the contractor may charge more because of the heavier stone and extra work.

Strength

The thicker the concrete, the stronger it tends to be with everything else being equal. If your driveway is going to have heavy equipment or high traffic levels, then a thicker paver will be able to stand the increased pounding.

Cost

Concrete is typically purchased by volume, in most cases by the cubic yard. A thicker paver will require more material to make, so the cost for each will be higher than for a thinner version. Also, application of thick pavers usually requires the excavation of the existing driveway, while thin pavers can be laid directly on the current driveway so it tends to cost less for installation of thin pavers. If your budget is tight then a thinner option might be the best alternative.

Stability

Because of its weight, a thick paver will provide a more stable driveway than a thin paver. A thin paver may require more maintenance due to movement as a result of traffic or subsurface movement.

New vs. Existing

Thick pavers tend to be used more often with construction of new driveways, since they do not need the added stability of an existing driveway. Thin pavers are used more frequently with an existing driveway. They can be laid right over the existing structure.